Makoto Sunakawa
Makoto Sunakawa (砂川まこと Sunakawa Makoto), more commonly known as Suna, is Takeo Gouda's next door neighbor, childhood friend and classmate who is always watching out for Takeo and is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for his friend. He is in his second year of high school, along with Takeo. Appearance Sunakawa is a very handsome slender guy with shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes. He is always seen with a blank or stoic expression with the exception of laughing at Takeo at times. Sunakawa is considered to be an attractive guy that all of the girls who Takeo ever liked ended falling in love with Sunakawa instead. Personality Sunakawa is a calm, charming, charismatic and kind individual. His good looks and cool personality have won him the affection of multiple females, many of whom confess their love but end up rejected (as it turns out most of the girls who asked him out spoke badly of Takeo behind his back). He is protective of those he cares for, but chooses not to associate himself with many people, so he doesn't have many friends. He keeps things to himself and always hides and holds back his feelings, not wanting others to worry about him and doesn't often talk about himself. He is somewhat of a mysterious figure to others as it is hard to figure out what he is thinking. Despite his apathetic face and calm cool personality, he laughs often whenever Takeo does anything funny or he remembers a funny incident involving Takeo (there were a lot of embarrassing moments on Takeo's part). He enjoys reading and watching films. He also studies often, believing as students it is their responsibility to keep up with classes and schoolwork. He is also very intelligent, helping to point out solutions or things Takeo doesn't understand and is also very observant, as he was able to tell the girls who confessed to him were not as nice as they seemed as they always talked bad about Takeo behind their back. In fact, his loyalty to his friends and family is proven when he refuses to date any of the girls that asked him out as all of them were disrespectful to his friend Takeo and in his own words "who would want to date someone who talks bad about their best friend behind their back". He also stayed to watch over his father while his mother and sister were in vacation, not telling Takeo so he could enjoy his date with Rinko Yamato (Yamato's birthday June 15th was the same day as his dad's surgery) but also because he felt he couldn't talk about his loneliness and fear of his father dying with someone else. He pays close attention to people and their actions, but pays the most attention to the people he cares for most. However, he rarely if ever talks about himself. He is very calm, handling any situation rationally and without panicking and is very mature. He is kind, but in a more subtle way than Takeo, as shown when he smoothly gave a woman holding her baby his seat in a crowded train without saying a word. He also has good memory, being able to remember things from his past that Takeo, who was with him in most of his memories, couldn't remember. Though he is good looking and super popular (especially with women), he doesn't let it get to his head (or seems indifferent to it). He doesn't seem interested in celebrities or anime, as he didn't know the characters of a popular children's show and didn't know about AKB48 or recognize the names of some female characters of a Gundam series. He is the type of person that would do anything to help his friends and the type of person anyo ne can talk to about their problems, being very helpful, knowledgeable, patient, and understanding. Also, while he doesn't look like it, he actually likes it when things are interesting, such as Takeo and his relationship with Yamato, and even once helped Takeo try to pass a mock exam for the same university Yamato wanted to go to, not telling Takeo it was a girls-only school for laughs. He also doesn't go out with anyone because he thinks dating is boring, though he seems to slowly be gaining interest in the idea after seeing Yamato and Takeo so happy. Though he states he finds dating is boring, it is also implied he doesn't want to go out with everyone because every girl who confessed to him were interested in his looks and were superficial, especially since they all also talked bad about Takeo. From this it could be implied that he feels only shallow girls are interested in him and not his personality, especially later on. Relationships Takeo Gouda Takeo is his best friend. The two have been friends ever since they were three and have been close for over ten years. Due to his intelligent & observant nature, Sunakawa knows about Takeo's behavior and will help him out in any way he can. He would do anything to make sure Takeo is happy because he believes it is natural as friends to look out for each other. Part of their close relationship is evident in the fact that Takeo is the only person who has and can make Sunakawa laugh (unwittingly and on purpose) and that he likes Takeo's honest and kind nature. Rinko Yamato The two seem to share a close friendship in part due to their close relationship to Takeo. He helped set up Yamato and Takeo as a couple and cares for the two very much. She seems to be one of the few (if not only) girls that Sunakawa gets along with as he describes her as a nice, beautiful, cute girl, but a bit weird. He often acts as an intermediate between Takeo and Yamato when they can't get their feelings across to each other or each individually want advice on their relationship. He enjoys watching their relationship grow and even states it looked nice (implying he might be slightly interested in entering a relationship himself), though this caused Yamato and Takeo to excitedly try to fix him up with one of Yamato's friends. He gets along with her well and she is also perhaps the only girl that hasn't fallen in love with him at first sight. He approves of their relationship, telling Takeo "up until now, you've had bad taste in girls", implying that he doesn't consider Yamato a bad girl and instead sees her as a good match for Takeo. Ai Sunakawa Although they are siblings and share some physical characteristics, Makoto is almost the polar opposite of Ai. The two express their care for others differently, as Makoto shows his concern subtly while Ai expresses herself boldly. Nonetheless, the two are close, which can be seen whenever Ai says "welcome home" or "I'm back" to Makoto whenever he comes home, and he would be happy to see her. Makoto cares for Ai, which was specifically shown when he acted as her confidante regarding her feelings for Takeo. Even though Makoto is Takeo's best friend, Ai trusts that her brother would never tell their neighbour about her feelings. Learning of Ai's feelings for Takeo demonstrated the siblings' honesty with each other, and their overall closeness. Considering how observant Makoto is, he surprisingly did not know that Ai had a crush on Takeo. Although it could be that Makoto did not expect Ai to develop romantic feelings for their neighbour, and believed her actions toward him were like an older sister’s. Thus, despite the honesty the siblings established, they can keep secrets from each other. (For instance, Makoto never told Ai that he and Takeo kissed.) Makoto did find Ai annoying when she cried and shook him. Ai is the only person throughout the series that Makoto thought of as annoying, which also emphasizes how close they are. Seeing how expressive Ai is may have influenced him to avoid behaving like her. Mariya Saijou Saijou and Sunakawa have a friendly relationship. They first met one another when she twisted her ankle as she ran down a flight of stairs to apologize to Takeo for insulting the matching cellphone strap he received as a gift from Yamato. He insisted on giving her a piggyback ride home, which made Saijou give a displeased expression (probably implying that he is not her type) as she wanted Takeo to give her the piggyback ride. When she tried getting closer to Takeo during their time as committee members, she kept looking over her shoulder as Sunakawa kept a close eye on her. Eventually, she broke down and told him to stop guilt tripping her as she knew she was taking advantage of Takeo and Yamato's kindness to remain close to Takeo. However, Sunakawa told her he felt sorry for her as she had to hold her feelings in and that the two will never know if she didn't say anything, causing her to confess. He brings her tissues and listens to her after her rejection. She calls him savvy, attentive, and kind which annoyed her as she was crying after her rejection. Despite this, he manages to calm her down and the two seem to be on good terms. On Valentine's Day, she gives him friendship chocolate, showing she considers him a friend and he accepts. Kouki Ichinose Despite seeing Sunakawa nearly the same number of times that he saw Takeo, Ichinose has never questioned the reason for his presence or his relationship to Yamato. Thus, Ichinose's impression of Sunakawa is unknown. However, it is safe to assume that Ichinose does not mind Sunakawa's company. Meanwhile, Sunakawa was aware of Ichinose's liking toward Yamato when the high-schooler noticed the pâtissier staring at the part-timer. Even so, Sunakawa remained silent and his first impression of Ichinose is unknown. Sunakawa was not fond of Ichinose's arrogance, as he believed that Takeo should have challenged the pâtissier, not vice versa. Sunakawa also described Ichinose as "a bit peciular." If the two did communicate with each other, they would probably not be friends. However, it is implied that Sunakawa does not have incredibly negative feelings toward Ichinose, as he watched the pâtissier's competition in-person. Maki Gouda On the day Maki was born, Sunakawa was present. When Takeo noticed the soft look Sunakawa had on his face as he looked at Maki, Takeo told him that he would not mind if the two got married. Sunakawa declined as he noted their big age gap of 16 years. Sunakawa enthusiastically teaches Maki English words and plays with her. Meanwhile, Maki seems to be fond of Sunakawa, which was displayed when she and Yuriko bumped into him on their way to the grocery store. Maki leaned forward towards Sunakawa and held onto his shirt and touched his face, despite her mother telling her she could play with their neighbour later. Maki also tries to pronounce Sunakawa's name by saying "Una." Sunakawa has offered to babysit Maki on Yuriko's behalf, and comments on her fast development, such as being able to walk when she is about seven months old. Sunakawa has acknowledged Maki's resemblance to her brother, which has had him smile. Perhaps due to Maki's cheerfulness (which resembles her brother), Sunakawa feels comfortable talking about Takeo and telling her his feelings, such as when he admitted to feeling lonely when he thinks that Takeo may not need him anymore. It is possible that due to his close friendship with Takeo, Sunakawa views Maki as a baby sister who he will witness grow up. Seeing that Maki is the only character that Sunakawa has comfortably confided in, it is possible that they will continue to have this type of relationship as she grows up. Overall, Maki and Sunakawa interact comfortably as neighbours. Yukika Amami Sunakawa has kept all of Amami's Valentine's Day letters, which indicates that she left a fond impression on him. Through the earnest and straightforward words in Amami's message, Sunakawa may have been aware that this 'anonymous' person was not like the other girls who have confessed to him. Although Amami and Sunakawa exchanged cell phone numbers, and Takeo (and later Yamato) even encouraged her to speak with him, she was still too shy to interact with him, and the two remained a formal relationship between acquaintances. At the zoo, Sunakawa recognized Amami's studious and eager nature when she answered every question correctly, during a trivia competition. Sunakawa also thinks Amami is a nice person after she apologized to Takeo about a misunderstanding. Through their trip to the zoo, Amami became a little more comfortable with speaking with Sunakawa. Sunakawa also expressed to Amami that he had fun at the zoo, which displayed that he became a little closer to her. Even though Amami was initially sad when she realized that she and Sunakawa feel differently about each other, she still remains grateful to him for his kindness and wishes that he falls in love and dates someone who loves him more than she does. Sunakawa and Amami agreed to talk with each other at school, like friends. It is implied that Amami and Sunakawa continue to have a well-acquainted friendship, through this agreement. In the anime, Sunakawa has a postcard of his favourite bird and a little message from Amami on it, on his desk. Because Sunakawa could not find the postcard earlier, Amami may have searched for it, herself. Through this postcard, it is safe to assume that Sunakawa recognized and appreciated Amami's efforts. Plot Past Sunakawa comes from a happy family including a sickly father, a happy go lucky mother, and an older sister three years his senior who is currently attending a university. They seem to be a loving family. His father has a weak heart and was worried when his children were born but glad they were born with normal hearts. As a result, he spoiled them often and never got angry, being a kind father to his two children. However, his father was born with a weak heart and while Sunakawa was out his father suffered from a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital for surgery for the second time.The second time this happened Sunakawa didn't tell anyone of his friends instead he carried the guilt yet again it was only until Takeo's mom told Takeo, that Sunakawa opened up a little. The first time this happened it caused Sunakawa to play at the park alone and guilt ridden over not watching over his father. One day, Takeo came by to play with Sunakawa and seeing him lonely cheered him up. The two have been friends since they were three in part due to the fact they live in the same apartment complex, their moms were close friends, and they were neighbors. He has been popular with women ever since he was in kindergarten. Yukika Amami is an example of Sunakawa's popularity: During a game of dodge ball in kindergarten, Sunakawa defended Amami from a ball that he could have easily avoided. After Amami apologized to Sunakawa, he revealed that he defended her because she might have gotten hurt if the ball hit her glasses. When girls confessed to him, he refused to date them as he knew they talked bad about Takeo behind his back. When they were young, Sunakawa and Takeo were the main actors in a play called "The Red Demon Who Cried" with Takeo as the red demon and Sunakawa as the blue demon. Takeo stated Sunakawa's performance was far beyond that expected of a child and he managed to make all of the mothers attending cry. Current On a train, Sunakawa pointed out to Takeo that someone was groping Rinko Yamato. When Takeo gave Mariya Saijou a piggyback ride, Sunakawa was left to wait outside the school alongside Yamato. After observing her for a while, Sunakawa began to realize that she had romantic feelings for Takeo. He told Yamato after school that they were meeting at the chicken coop, encouraging her to run after them. While generously helping to pick up garbage, he questioned Saijou on what she meant when she told Takeo that she liked him as a person (thus leading to Saijou asking Takeo if she could call him 'master'). She lied and said it was the same like as Sunakawa had for Takeo but Sunakawa said that couldn't be right. After Amami successfully confessed to Sunakawa in person, he was aware of her feelings and knew she was the person who has been giving him anonymous chocolates annually. Recognizing that Sunakawa does not know enough about Amami to like or dislike her, the two agreed to get to know each other and then have him respond to her confession. With Takeo and Yamato, Sunakawa and Amami went to a zoo. At the zoo, Sunakawa learned more about Amami, which fulfilled their agreement. Later on, Sunakawa thanked Amami for all of the chocolates she has given him and expressed his gratitude by giving her a notebook and bookmark. Sunakawa also apologized for not reciprocating Amami's feelings and rejected her. Trivia * The name Makoto 'means "sincerity" (誠) and "true", which matches him well since he is a very kind person who works hard to make the ones who cherishes happy, he is a true loyal person to those he loves and he is also honest who is not sneaky or a liar. * Makoto's surname '''Sunakawa '''means "sand" (砂) ('suna) and "river" (kawa). ** Takeo Gouda and Rinko Yamato (later on) refer to him as Sunakawa '''or '''Suna rather than his first name. In fact, it seems like the only people to call him by his first name is his family. * The artist of the manga said she prefers Sunakawa over Takeo while the author said she preferred Takeo over Sunakawa who she felt would be a pain to date (but stated Takeo needed to be more compact). * Sunakawa doesn't like cold places and even got a blanket from Yamato and Takeo for his birthday, as Takeo remembered he can't wake up in the mornings when he's cold. * Sunakawa seems to not mind eating sweets, often complimenting Yamato's homemade desserts despite the common notion that only feminine, unmanly guys would eat sweets. * When Sunakawa was born, he popped out with a full head of hair and his signature grimace. * Sunakawa's first words were "Whatever," "no," and then "mom." * Sunakawa was a very quiet baby who never cried. * Sunakawa communicated with flashcards until about age 10. Takeo couldn't read and just guessed what it said. Category:Characters Category:Male Characters